Conventional television using cathode ray tube have been used resting on a TV-mounting rack or case that is able to bear the weight of the television set, in order to support the TV screen at a predetermined height that meets the level and direction of the viewer's viewpoint.
Recently the use of thin design televisions using liquid crystal displays, plasma displays and the like has become widespread instead of CRT type displays. In the case of a CRT television, in order to keep it at a predetermined height, taking into account the ease of watching, it is necessary to use a steady TV-mounting rack, case, table or the like because of its heavy weight. On the other hand, since the thin design television is provided as a light-weight configuration as it becomes thin, it is possible to use a leg-like stand for supporting the thin design television similar to the stand for a fluorescent lamp, for example, instead of the conventional TV-mounting rack, case, table and the like. This configuration has the advantage of reducing the area for placement (see the patent literature 1, for example).
Also, the development into a thin and lightweight configuration promotes ease of relocation: for example, a system made up of a battery driven monitor unit and a base unit for transmitting video information to the monitor unit is disclosed in a patent literature 2 and others, in which the battery for driving the monitor unit is chargeable and the monitor unit can also be used during charging.
In this patent literature 2, the monitor unit is constructed such that the battery and a retractable stand are arranged on the backside while a groove with a charging terminal is formed at the bottom face. Additionally, in the base unit a charging terminal is formed in a holding rail, and when the battery is charged, the monitor unit with the stand housed into its stand housing slot is stood against the front of the base station so as to bring the charging terminals into contact with each other to allow for charging of the battery.
Further, as the stand having a grip handle for carriage, a stand similar to that used for an electric fan, for example, can be used, this also provides the advantage of reducing the area of placement.
FIGS. 27 to 30 show a conventional stand type thin design television (using a liquid crystal display) with a grip handle. This conventional stand type thin design television comprises a main boy 101 having a display screen and the like, a pillar 102, a stand base 103 and a joint body 104.
FIG. 28 is a side view showing one step for assembly of the stand type thin design television, wherein main body 101 and joint body 104 are integrated with screws etc., and pillar 102 and stand base 103 are also integrated with screws etc., then joint body 104 and pillar 102 are fitted to each other so that joint body 104 will be fixed and fastened so as to be rotatable with respect to pillar 102.
Referring to FIG. 29, the fitting between the joint body 104 and pillar 102 will be described in detail.
FIG. 29 is a side view showing the parts before these elements are fitted, in particular showing a cutaway representation of the fitting portion. As shown in FIG. 29, joint body 104 has a fitting part 105 at the fitting portion while pillar 102 has a fitting socket part 106 at the fitting portion. These parts 105 and 106 are attached in an integrated manner to joint body 104 and pillar 102, respectively. Fitting part 105 and fitting socket part 106 are formed so as to rotatably engage each other. Fitting part 105 is also formed with a slot 108 that screw fits a bolt 107. Formed at the bottom of fitting socket part 106 is a hole that allows bolt 107 to pass therethrough in the axial direction.
For attachment between joint body 104 and pillar 102, fitting part 105 of joint body 104 is fitted first into fitting socket part 106 of pillar 102. It should be added that pillar 102 and stand base 103 are hollow, forming a connected interior space in these elements. As shown in FIG. 29, bolt 107 is inserted from the bottom of stand base 103, passed through fitting socket part 106 and screwed into slot 108 of fitting metal 105, whereby fitting part 105 and fitting socket part 106 are secured and fixed so as to be rotatable on the same axis. Thus, attachment between joint body 104 and pillar 102 in the above way makes the display screen of main body 101 rotatable and adjustable for horizontally direction with respect to stand pillar 102 while rotation of a rotational axis 104a of joint body 104 makes the display screen of main body 101 adjustable for angle of elevation.
[Patent Literature 1]
Japanese Patent Application Laid-open 2002-311852
[Patent Literature 2]
Japanese Patent Application Laid-open 2002-171461
It is true that the development of thin design televisions into thin and lightweight configurations enables easy carrying indoors and in other locations, but since, upon practical carriage, the monitor unit described in the patent literature 1 is carried about by grasping the stand portion, or the above-described stand type thin design television with the grip handle is transported by carrying main body 101 to stand base 103 as a whole, transportation still entails trouble when the apparatus is transported to a place, for example, the top of a table or the like, where pillar 102 is no longer necessary for matching its height to that of viewer's viewpoint or to a narrow mounting space where stand base 103 is a hindrance. Therefore, there have been demands for more versatile thin design televisions, which are less limited by the installation place.
In the system of the monitor unit and base unit disclosed in patent literature 2, it is impossible to adjust the angle of the display screen when the monitor is mounted on the base unit, and if an angular adjusting function with respect to the angle of elevation and in the horizontal plane is devised, it needs a complex structure.
The present invention has been devised in order to solve the above problems, it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an easy-to-use thin design display apparatus, whereby its display unit is easily attachable and detachable from the stand structure and can be easily carried about, the place of installation of the display unit is not limited, the angle of elevation and the horizontal angle of the display screen can be adjusted when the display is set on the stand structure, and the display unit can be used in a wall-mounted position.